External

• Boys and literacy


  Many boys see reading as a girl's activity - boring and a waste of time. Women are the main readers in society as it is 'feminised' in our culture. They are more likely to read to their daughters than their sons. Boys lack a positive male role model for reading. Research shows that boys often stop being interested in reading at about 8 years old. Include McRobbie bedroom culture - girls magazines etc
• Leisure time


  Boys are more likely to play sports such as football and computer games as leisure activities. Girls are more likely to read (McRobbie bedroom culture) or stand around talking, helping with their language and communication skills, boys' leisure activities don't help with these things so they are at a disadvantage in their school work.
• The decline in traditional male working class jobs


  Since the 1980s there has been a significant decline in traditional working class men's jobs. Working class boys lack motivation and ambition - they don't see the point in trying at school because there are no jobs for them when they leave. Mac an Ghail - say the decline in traditional male working class jobs has led to a 'crisis of masculinity' - working class boys feel uncertain about their masculine identity - consequently they underachieve.